Cork-shell-cutting machine.



6. LA FEMINA.

CORK SHELL cumwe MACHINE. V APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15, 191]. 1,261,559, Patented Apr. 2,1918.

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CORK SHELL CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION F|LED FEB- 15.1917.

1,261 ,559; Patented Apr. 2, 1918;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- G. LA FEMINA.

CORK SHELL CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15.1917.

1,261,559. Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

44 IIL W W 49 I INVENTOR. WITNESS j j was san PATENT WW3 eAE'rAno LA asthma, or NEW YORK, 1v. 1.,

ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL CORK COM- PANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

CORK-SHELL-CUTTING MACHINE.

' Patented Apr. 2, 1918'.

Application filed February 15, 1917. Serial No. 148,850.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known-that I, GAE'rANo LA FEMlNA, I a citizen of the United States of Brazil, and a'resident of thecity of New York, in the county of Kings and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cork-Shell-Cutting Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved machine for cutting cork shells or, as they a are sometimes termed, hollow corks. :The invention pertains more particularly to an apparatus which produces shells from corks, which have previously beenblocked on'another machine. l

The main object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described; whichis simple in construction, eilicient in operationjand on which the work is performed automatically, save for the placing of corks upon the cork carrierthereof.

lVith these andother objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, a the same consistsin the combination, arrangement,:and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes maybe made in the size and proportion of the, several parts and details'of construction within the scope of the ap Jended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of. the invention. One of the many possible embodiments of theinvention is illustrated in the accomments of the machine; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the means for. actuating the work supportof the machine; Fig. 7 is asection taken on l ne 7+7 of Fig. 6; 8 is ftp??? spective view of a slide forming part of the work support actuating means; Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a centering means coacting with the work support actuating device; Fig. 10 is a vertical section, similar to the one shown in F 3 of the drawings, of a portion of the de vice, but showing the elements in other positions; Fig. 11 is a scctiontaken on line l1l1 of Fig. 10; and Fig. 12 is a section taken on line 1212 of Fig. 10, with the moving elements in other positions.

In the drawings, the numeral 20 designates the supporting frame of the machine, resting on legs 21 and carrying bearings 22, in which is journaled the driving shaft 23. This shaft may be rotated in any suitable manner, for instance by a belt drive, including a pulley 24, that is, in, the case illustrated in the drawings, loosely mounteduponthe shaft and provided with a clutch member .25, adapted to cooperate with a second clutch member 26, the latterbeing formed upon a collar 27. This collar keyed to the driving shaft and shiftably mounted thereon. A lever 28, in cngagcment with said collar, serves to engage or disengage, at will, the two coacting clutch members. v

The work support or carrier comprises a horizontally disposed disk 29, that is provided near its peripheral portion with equidistantly located cylindrical pockets or bores 30, extending vertically through the said disk, and accommodating each a cork. The carrier is attached to a spindle 31, that is rotatably mounted in a bearing 32 upon the supporting frame and has secured to it above the saidsupporting frame a ratchet disk 33, provided upon its underface with downwardly extending lugs 3r, for a purpose hereinafter. to be described. The carrier is rotated step-by-step during each complete revolution of the shaft 23 a distance corresponding to that between two bores 30,therein by any suitable means, for instance a spring-pressed pawl 35, cooperating with the ratchet disk 33. This pawl is pivoted at 36 to a slide 37, that moves in guides 38 upon thesupporting frame and isactuated by. n

eccentric 39, the latter being rigidly attached to the driving shaft of the machine. The slide is shown in detail in Fig. 8 of the drawings, and includes a vertical section 40, provided with vertical ledges 41, cotiperating with the eccentric 39. When the slide moves in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the pawl causes the ratchet disk to move a distance corresponding to that between two bores 30. In order to prevent the ratchet disk, or in other words the work support, from moving too far, an abutment 42 is provided, which is adapted to be projected into the path of the lugs 34 above mentioned. This abutment is made in the form of a pin, shiftably disposed in a boss 43 upon the underface of the table portion of the supporting frame. The pin is pivoted at 44 to a lever 45, the latter being fulcrumed at 46 to the supporting frame and carries upon its free end a roller 47, which is held by a spring 48 continuously in contact with a cam 49 upon the shaft 23. The eccentric 39 and the cam 49 are timed in such a manner that the abutment 42 will complete its upward stroke before the ratchet disk is moved the proper distance. The abutment will thus cause the ratchet disk to stop at the end of the forward stroke of the slide 37, and prevent it from overrunning'. In order to center the work carrier or, in other words, to bring its bores 30 in proper relation to certain moving elements of the machine hereinafter to be described, there is provided a centering pin 50 (shown in detail in Fig. 9 of the drawings). This pin is slidably disposed in a boss 51 on the underface of the table portion of the supporting frame, and pivoted at 52 to a lever 53, the latter being fulcrumed at 54 to the said frame and carries upon its free end a roller 55, which coacts with a cam 56 on the driving shaft. A. spring 57 serves to keep the last-named roller and cam in engagement. The upper end of the centering pin 50 is conical, and adapted to coact with the tapering lower edges 58 of holes 59, that extend in a circle through the ratchet disk 33. When the ratchet disk is brought to a full stop, thecam 56 causes the centering pin to move upward and to enter one of the holes '59 therein. If the ratchet disk did not stop at the proper place, the conical end. of the centering pin, in cotiperation with the tapering lower edge of the registering hole 59 in the ratchet disk, causes the said disk to move in one or the other direction until the center of the hole is brought into registering position with the longitudinal axis of the pin 50, so that the latter, on completing its stroke, holds the ratchet disk and the parts rigidly connected therewith firmly in position.

Below the carrier 29 is mounted upon the table portion of the supporting frame a platform 60, having two apertures, denoted by the numerals 61 and 62, which register with two neighboringpockets or bores .30 in the carrier, whenever the latter comes to a full stop. The diameters of the apertures 61 and 62 are slightly smaller than that of a bore 30, so that the said platform will serve as means on which the corks rest during the cutting and other operations hereinafter to be described. In registering position with the aperture 61 is rotatably and reciprocably mounted a tubular arbor 63 in bearings '64, which are'carriedsby a standard 65, the lat ter rising from the supporting frame. This arbor is provided with a longitudinal .pe-

ripheral slot 66, in which is sea-teda key 67 in a pulley 68, drawn over the said arbor and held against longitudinal mcvementbetween the two bearings 64. To the arbor is attached, in any suitable manner, a tubular knife 69, that/extends through a slide 70, hereinafter termed presser foot. This presser-foot has a dovetailed face 70, seated in a similarly shaped groove 71 in the standard 65, and is provided with means for lubricating the knife. "This means comprises a disk 72 of felt or similar material,

that is disposed within a recess 73 in the v presser-foot and held in position by a blade spring 74. Through the arbor 63 and the knife 69 extends a stripper 7 5 in the form of a rod, that is clamped by'a screw 7 6 to the" standard65, its lower end being disposed a little distance above the upper face of the carrier '29. The means for actuating the presser foot and for reciprocating the tubular knife comprises an eccentric 77,006perating with horizontal ledges 7 8 upon a slide 79 (shown in detail in Fig. 12 of the drawings). To this slide is fixedly attached .a vertical bar 80, that extends through the pressenfoot and is guided in its reciprocating motion by the bearings 64 above men-.

The bar carries a bearing 80, in which the arbor 63 is rotatably mounted,

tioned.

stop rings 80 preventing said arbor from moving in said bearing in the direction of its longitudinal axis. The slide 7 9'i's provided with a horizontal arm 81, disposed above the work carrier 29 and provided, in registering position with the aperture 62 and the next bore 30 in the series, with downwardly extending lugs 82 and '83, respectively. The diameter of the lug 82 is smaller than the diameter of the tubular knife, and the diameter of the "lug 83 is slightly smaller than that of a bore 30. A spring 84 serves to cause the presser foot to move toward its lower position.

The'arbor 63 is rotated by a belt 85, running over the pulley 68 and idlers 86, which are mounted upon the standard 65.

In alinement with the aperture 62 in the platform 60 is held a chute 87, and in saline ment with the neXt bore 30 in the series is mounted a chute 88. Below these chutes there may be placed receptacles (not shown) for rece'ivii'ig the articles passing therethrough.

The operation of this device as follows: The attendant places the corkstoppers 89 in the successive bores or pockets 30 in the work carrier, which is moved slicpbystep as above described. By this movement the stoppers are carried successively to the presser-foot 70, thence to the knife 69, thence to the lug 82, and finally to the lug S3. The presser-foot forces the corks into the bores or pockets as far as the platform 60 will permit. The knife, on its downward stroke, cuts from the work a cylindrical core 90, which is removed by the lug 82 and falls into the chute 87. The lug 83 removes then the finished product from the work carrier, said product falling into the chute S8. The presser-foot is loosely mounted upon the bar 80 and, being lowered by the spring 8%, is adapted to advance on its downward stroke in relation to the knife 69, thereby forcing the corks into and holding them in their pockets before the cutting action. On the upward stroke, on the other hand, the knife first recedes from the cork, the presserfoot being lifted only after the upper edge 7 9 of the slide 79 is brought into contact with the lower edge of the presser-foot. In

this manner the cork is prevented from being lifted from its pocket by the receding knife. The core 90 is held within the cork shell by the stripper 75. The platform 60 serves as an anvil or counter-die during the cutting operation, and also to hold the linished product on the carrier while the core 90 is being ejected into the chute 87. It also serves to prevent the presser-foot from forcing down the corks 89 too far.

What I claim is:

1. In a cork shell cutting machine, the combination with a rotary carrier for the stoppers, of means for imparting a step-bystep movement to said carrier, acutting tool arranged to operate on the stoppers while on the carrier and actuated in timed relation to the movement thereof, and means for ejecting from said carrier in succession the cores cut from the stoppers and the finished shells, the cutting operation being performed at one position, the core ejected at the next successive position, and the shell ejected at still another position of the Work.

2. In a cork shell cutting machine, the combination with a rotary carrier for the stoppers, of means for imparting a step-bystep movement to said carrier, a cutting tool arranged to operate on the stoppers while on the carrier and actuated in timed relation to the movement thereof, a Presser-foot coacting with said cutting tool for holding the corks on their seats during the cutting operation, and means for ejecting from said carrier .in succession the cores cut from the stoppers and the finished shells, the cutting operation being peiforn'ied at one position, the core ejected at the next successive position, and the shell ejected at still another position of the work.

3. In a cork shell cutting machine, the combination with a rotary carrier for the stoppers, of means for imparting a step-bystep movement to said carrier, a cutting tool arranged to operate on the stoppers while on the carrier, a presser-foot cooperating with said cutting tool for holding the stoppers on their seats While operated on by said cutting tool, means actuated in timed relation to the movement of said carrier for recipro *ating said cutting tool and presserfoot, said last named means acting to cause said presser-foot to engage the corks before the cutting tool starts to operate, and means for ejecting from said carrier in succession the cores out from the stoppers and the finished shells, the cutting operation being performed at one position, the core ejected at the next successive position, and the shell ejected at still another position of the work.

4-. In a cork shell cutting machine, the combination with a rotary carrier for the stoppers, of means for imparting a step-bystep movement to said carrier, a cutting tool arranged to operate on the stoppers while on the carrier, means for forcing said stoppers onto their seats before they are brought in registering position with said cutting tool, means actuated in timed relation to the movement of said carrier for actuating said cutting tool, and means for ejecting from said carrier in succession the cores cut from the stoppers and the finished shells, the cutting operation being performed at one position, the core ejected at the next successive position, and the shell ejected at still another position of the work.

5. In a cork shell cutting machine, the combination with a rotary carrier for the stoppers, of means for imparting a step-bystep movement to said carrier, a cutting tool arranged to operate on the stoppers While on the carrier, means for ejecting from said carrier in succession the cores cut from the stoppers and the finished shells, said last named means and said cutting tool being actuated in timed relation to the movement of said carrier, the cutting operation being performed at one position, the core ejected at the next successive position, and the shell ejected at still another position of the work.

(3. I11 :1 cork shell cutting machine, the combination with a rotary carrier for the stoppers, of means for imparting a step-bystep movement to said carrier, a cutting Cii tool arranged to operate on the stoppers While on the carrier, means for ejecting from said carrier in succession the cores out from the stoppers and the finished shells, and means for holding down said stoppers on their seats While being acted upon by said cutter, said last-named means, said ejecting means a 1d said cutting tool being actuated in tuned relation to the movement of said carrier, the cutting operation being per 10 Signed at New York, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, this 15th day 15 otJanuary, D. 1917.

GAETANO LA FEMINA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

